I’ve cherished the Microphones since a friend lent me their masterwork, The Glow, Pt. 2, in the summer of 2002. At their best (and they can be very spotty), the ‘phones combine classic songcraft and intricate melody with really great sounding four-track experimentation and the kind of wide-eyed prophetic lyrics that the ElephantSix bands tend to indulge in. The Microphones, however, offer songs that are tied to human tragedy–they evoke particular feelings particularly well. I offer two of my favorite songs for your listening pleasure: “Ice,” which, after a fuzzed-out intro, sounds like the lunar surface (the moon: another Microphones obsession), and “The Glow, Pt. 2,” an epic I’ve always thought would sound good played by a brass quintet.

Also recommended: “The Moon,” “I’ll Not Contain You,” “You’ll Be in the Air,” “The Pull,” and “The Glow.”

4 responses to ““I took my shirt off in the yard””

Thank you Glenn. I was first turned on to these guys by you. I have been listening to them for a few weeks straight now and according to my current ear they can do no wrong.

I purchased their live album as well as “Don’t Wake Up” which is quite good. I already had “The Glow pt2”. I also recently watched a documentary about The Microphones called “Wise Old Little Boy” which I think it terrific.

I really like the imagery with the music. It makes me want to spend all of my time out in the woods by myself. It’s also surprisingly catchy for being lo-fi weirdness at most times.